Are you serious about addressing diversity and inclusion issues at your company? From my experience as an activist and corporate advocate for human diversity, here are five questions that I believe all workplace leaders should ask.
If there are groups missing from the table, then their concerns aren’t being properly discussed or considered.
Consider how it feels to be a member of a demographic that isn’t counted. Not counting someone gives the impression that they aren’t being seen, valued, respected, listened to, and ultimately tells them that they don’t matter. Here are examples where this is often seen:
To be a truly inclusive company means your employees feel like they can bring their whole and best selves to work every day. They feel like they not only contribute, but that they are wanted and that they belong.
When someone feels like the organization values their unique perspective and the skills that their life experience has granted them they will be more engaged, creative, and productive.
Remember, without diversity, we operate in a homogenous system and homogeneity is the death of innovation and progress.
Try building inclusion change teams or councils, which are comprised of business leaders who recommend, implement, or sponsor programs based on building awareness and spreading knowledge, understanding and removing barriers, innovation and diversity of thought, recruiting and development, and/or behaviors and experiences related to the demographic diversity of your employee base.
This is a crucial piece of changing internal culture and showing employees that the company cares about their diversity and what they uniquely bring to the table.
Find exactly what you're looking for in our Learn Library by searching for specific words or phrases related to the content you need.